Method and apparatus for removing liquid from a horizontal well

Abstract

A system and method for removing liquid from a horizontal wellbore is disclosed. The system and methods utilize multi-conduit tubing associated with one or more liquid intake port(s) and vent port(s) positioned at selected locations along the tubing and positioned within a wellbore. The one or more liquid intake ports are placed at liquid accumulation points along the primarily horizontal section of the wellbore. The one or more vent housings are placed at gas accumulation points along the primarily horizontal section of the wellbore. Various embodiments of intake port are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 a multi-conduit comprising at least two pipes extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore; 
 at least one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake port being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, the intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the interior of the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; the intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit; and 
 multiple vent housings positioned in fluid communication with the multi-conduit providing for fluid communication between at least two of the pipes of the multi-conduit with one vent housing being positioned at the end of the multi-conduit opposite the surface of the wellbore. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one vent housing is operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where gas accumulates. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a pressurized gas source and wherein the first fluid accumulation pipe and the vent pipe may be selectively pressurized by the application of a pressurized gas. 
     
     
       4. A system for removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 a multi-conduit comprising at least three pipes extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore, 
 at least one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake port being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, the intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the interior of the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; the intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit; and 
 a vent housing positioned in fluid communication with the multi-conduit providing for fluid communication between at least two of the pipes of the multi-conduit wherein the multi-conduit comprises a first fluid accumulation pipe in fluid communication with the liquid passage of at least one intake port, a second fluid accumulation pipe in fluid communication with the liquid passage of at least one intake port and a vent pipe in fluid communication with the first fluid accumulation pipe and the second fluid accumulation pipe at the vent housing. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  further comprising:
 one terminal vent housing located at the end of the multi-conduit opposite the surface of the wellbore and providing for fluid communication between the first fluid accumulation pipe, the second fluid accumulation pipe and the vent pipe; and 
 one or more in-line vent housings located between the end of the multi-conduit opposite the surface of the wellbore and the surface of the wellbore and providing for fluid communication between the first fluid accumulation pipe, the second fluid accumulation pipe and the vent pipe. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4  further comprising a pressurized gas source and wherein the first fluid accumulation pipe and the vent pipe may be selectively pressurized by the application of a pressurized gas. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 4  wherein the at least one vent housing is operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where gas accumulates. 
     
     
       8. A system for removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 a multi-conduit comprising at least two pipes extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore; 
 at least one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake port being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, the intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the interior of the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; the intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit, wherein the at least one intake port further comprises a back-flush port positioned adjacent to the liquid passage and extending from the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port, wherein the back-flush port is oriented such that liquid flowing through the back-flush port when the pressure in the multi-conduit exceeds the pressure outside the liquid passage clears debris from the liquid passage; and 
 a connection between the at least two pipes of the multi-conduit, the connection providing for fluid communication between the at least two pipes of the multi-conduit. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 providing a multi-conduit extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore wherein the multi-conduit comprises a first fluid accumulation pipe, a second fluid accumulation pipe and a vent pipe; 
 providing at least one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake port being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, the intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; the intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the multi-conduit and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit; 
 providing at least one vent housing positioned in fluid communication with the multi-conduit providing for fluid communication between the first fluid accumulation pipe and the second fluid accumulation pipe; 
 venting gas from the vent pipe while causing the pressure in the first fluid accumulation pipe and the second fluid accumulation pipe to be less than the pressure outside the liquid passage, thereby allowing liquid to flow through the liquid passage into the multi-conduit; and 
 pressurizing the first fluid accumulation pipe and the vent pipe forcing liquid in the multi-conduit to flow toward the surface of the wellbore through the second fluid accumulation pipe. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  further comprising providing a fluid connection between the first fluid accumulation pipe and the second fluid accumulation pipe at the end of the multi-conduit opposite the surface of the wellbore. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  further comprising positioning the at least one vent housing in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where gas accumulates. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  further comprising pressurizing at least one pipe of the multi-conduit with a mixture of pressurized gas and solid spheres. 
     
     
       13. A method of removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 providing a multi-conduit comprising at least two pipes extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore; 
 providing more than one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake ports being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, each intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; each intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the multi-conduit and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit; 
 providing a second fluid accumulation pipe in fluid communication with the liquid passage of at least one of the intake ports; 
 providing at least one vent housing positioned in fluid communication with the multi-conduit providing for fluid communication between the at least two pipes of the multi-conduit; 
 causing the pressure in the multi-conduit to be less than the pressure outside the liquid passage, thereby allowing liquid to flow through the liquid passage into the multi-conduit; and 
 pressurizing at least one pipe of the multi-conduit causing the intake check valve to close and forcing liquid in the multi-conduit to flow toward the surface of the wellbore through another pipe of the multi-conduit. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising providing a fluid connection between the first fluid accumulation pipe and the second fluid accumulation pipe at the end of the multi-conduit opposite the surface of the wellbore. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  further comprising positioning the at least one vent housing in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where gas accumulates. 
     
     
       16. A method of removing liquid from a wellbore comprising:
 providing a multi-conduit comprising at least two pipes extending into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore; 
 providing at least one intake port in fluid communication with at least one pipe of the multi-conduit, the intake port being operatively positioned in a horizontal portion of a wellbore at a location where liquid accumulates, the intake port comprising a liquid passage extending from the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port; the intake port further comprising a check valve operatively associated with the liquid passage and providing for the liquid passage to be closed when a pressure inside the multi-conduit exceeds a pressure outside the multi-conduit and providing for the liquid passage to be open when the pressure outside the liquid passage exceeds the pressure inside the multi-conduit; 
 providing at least one vent housing positioned in fluid communication with the multi-conduit providing for fluid communication between the at least two pipes of the multi-conduit; 
 causing the pressure in the multi-conduit to be less than the pressure outside the liquid passage, thereby allowing liquid to flow through the liquid passage into the multi-conduit; 
 pressurizing at least one pipe of the multi-conduit causing the intake check valve to close and forcing liquid in the multi-conduit to flow toward the surface of the wellbore through another pipe of the multi-conduit; and 
 clearing debris from the from the fluid passage of the at least one intake port by flowing liquid through a back-flush port positioned adjacent to the liquid passage and extending from the multi-conduit to the exterior of the intake port.